Heat exchange unit



Dec. 15, 1931. r A. a. MODINE 1,836,271

HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT Filed Sept. 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17. 5 {Mm nnuunnnnunnugnguunnuuuunn WWW 077171111 19. Nadine De c. 15, 193 1. A. B, Momma 1 1,836,271 7 HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT Filed Sept 17, 1928 2 Shee fs-Sheet '2 I Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR B. MODINE, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO MODINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OI IRAOINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT Application filed September 17, 1928. Serial No. 305,474.

My invention relates to heat exchan e units and its object is, broadly, to provide improved heating apparatus which is convenient and efl'icient in operation.

A particular object of the invention is to provide improved construction for that class of heating devices which comprises radiator units that are adapted'to be suspended from steam or hot water pipes by means throu h which steam or hot water is supplied to t e units.

Another object is theprovision of means. which utilizes the fluid supplied to the radiator units to actuate an instrumentality for advancing air through said radiator units. This instrumentality preferabl takes the form of a turbine interposed etween the radiator unit and the main supply pipe from which the radiator unit is suspended whereby the flow of fluid from the main to the radiator actuates the turbine and a fan connected therewith for advancing air through the radiator unit.

To this end my inventionconsists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereafter shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters I represent like or corresponding parts: V

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one of my improved heating units;

Fig. 2 is a ongitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the character 10 designates generally my improved heating unit which is preferably suspended from a steam or hot water pipe 11 by means hereinafter described, other means being provided for connecting the heating unit to a drain or return pipe 12.

The heating unit 10 includes a casing 13 from one edge of which a radiator unit 14 is suspended. The radiator unit 14 is fastened to the casin 13 by means of a bolt 15 which is shown in ig. 3, the method of attachment of the bolt being hereinafter more particularly described.

I have illustrated the heatin unit as connected with the main pipe 11 y nipples 16 and 17 and a union 18. A pipe 19 is connected to the nipple 17 by a member 20 with the pipe extending downwardly through the casing 13 to a threaded connection with a pan or trough member 21.

The vent or return pipe 12 is connected to the member 21 being alignment with the ni p es 16 and 17 which form the connection 0 the heating unit with the main pipe 11. The connection comprises nipples 39 and 40 and the union 41. The entire heating unit is rotatable about the axial line of the unions 18 and 41, the threaded connection of the nipples 16 and 17 and ofthe nipples 39 and 40 making such rotation easy to accomplish. The provision of axially ali ned connections of the heating unit with t e main supply pipe 11 and with the vent or return pipe 12 permits the unit to be rotated as deslred about a vertical axis and the heat from the radiator unit to be projected in any desired direction by the proper manipulation of the unit.

The lower edge of the radiator unit 14 includes a tank 24 which is positioned in and is connected to the member 21 whereby both the radiator unit and the pipe 19 provide supporting means for the member 21. The radiator unit 14 also comprises an upper tank 23, tubes 25 and fins 26 of the usual type of radiator construction. The member 21 is so positioned as to provide a receptacle adapted to catch any leakage from any portion of the casing 13 or from the radiator unit 14.

A fan 27 is mounted in the rear of the radiator unit 14 for the purpose of drivin air through the unit and more rapidly and more uniformly distributing the heat radiated thereby. The fan 27 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 22, the shaft and fan being carried by a bracket member 28 which is suspended from the casing 13 and fastened thereto by a plurality of bolts29.

ositioned in axial The flow of the heatin fluid to the radiator unit is utilized to provi e power for rotating the fan 27. For this purpose a turbine 30 is mounted in the casing 13, the turbine being 5 positioned in a chamber 31 which is connected with the member by a conical tube 32. The turbine 30 is mounted on a vertical shaft 34 in a position where the flow of fluid from the tube 32 impinges on the turbine. The turbine shaft 34 and the fan shaft 33 are provided with a spiral drive connection, generall indicated by the numeral 35, by means of which the rotation of the turbine 30 actuates the fan 27 to drive a column of air forwardly through the radiator unit 14.

A thermo valve 36 is positioned in the pipe 19 to, prevent steam or other heating fluid from flowing past the member 20. The fluid escapes through the member 20 and enters the chamber 31 through the conical tube 32. The conical tube 32 is so constructed and positioned as to impinge the heating fluid upon the vanes 37 and cause the rotation of the turbine 30. The heating fluid leaves the chamber 31 through a channel 38 which opens into the top tank 23 of the radiator unit and thence proceeds downwardly through the tubes to the bottom tank 24 of the radiator unit 14.

The radiator unit 14 is fastened to the easing 13 by means of the bolt 15 which extends through the tank 23 and into the channel 38 where it is threaded into a lug 42. A slotted thimble 47 is provided in the tank 23 to give rigidity to the bolt connection through the relativel thin walls of the tank 23. The con nection etween the tank 23, forming the upper part of the radiator unit 14, and the casing 13 is made fluid tight by providing a gasket 43 positioned between the tank and the casin and the provision of a nipple 44 positioned partly within the channel 38 and partly within the thimble 47 The nipple 44 tapers from its mid portions towards the ends and is provided with corresponding tapering seats in the channel 38 and the thimble 47 resplectively. As a result of the tightening of t 0 bolt 15, the nipple 44 is forced to a tight fit at both ta ering ends and forms a watertight connection. The tightening of the bolt 15 also tends to compress the gasket 43 and make the entire connection surrounding the thimble 47 fluid tight. The tank 23 may be connected to the casing 13 by other and shorter bolts (not shown).

The pan or trough member 21 is positioned at the bottom of the heating unit 14 and extends entirely thereunder to catch any water that may leak through the bearings or joint 9 connections. The heating fluid after flowing downwardly through the tubes 25 into the tank 24 is conveyed to the vent or return pipe 12 through the horizontal pipe 45 which has an L connection with a conduit 46 in the hot- 55 tom of the pan or trough 21. The conduit 46 WWW i is not open to the interior of the pan member 21 but it serves to maintain the bottom of thepan at a temperature suflicient to cause rapl evaporation.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a heat exchange unit which is adapted to be suspended from a main supply line, and the radiation therefrom directed by a fan in any desired direction by the rotation of the unit, the fan being actuated by the flow of the heating fluid from the supply pipe through the radiator unit for the purpose described.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing, a radiator unit carried by the casing, means axially arranged for suspending the casing from a fluid supply pipe, said radiator unit being in communication with said supply pipe, and fluid actuated means carried by the casing for advancing air through said radiator unit and a fluid passage connecting said axially arranged means and said fluid actuated air advancing means.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing, a radiator unit carried by the casing, means for suspending the casin from a fluid supply pipe, said radiator unit eing in communication with said supply pipe, fluid actuated means an element of which is provided in a wall of the casing for advancing air through said radiator unit.

3. In apparatus of the kinddescribed, a casing, a radiator unit carried by the casing, an element of the casing having a passage for supplying the radiator unit with a heating fluid and fluid actuated means carried by the casing for advancing air through said radiator unit, said fluid actuated means having a fluid passage which communicates with said passage provided in said element of the casing.

4. The combination with means for sup plying fluid, of a heat exchange means comprising a casing connected to said first mentioned means and adjustable around an axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis of said means, a radiator unit carried by the casing and communicating with said first mentioned means, a fan disposed in close proximity to the rear face of the radiator unit for advancing a column of air therethrough, and fluid actuated mechanism mounted in a wall of the casing for driving the fan, said mechanism being actuated by the flow of fluid through the casing to the radiator unit.

5. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing having a conduit therethrough, a radiator unit carried by the casing and connected with the conduit, an outlet pipe for the radiator unit, and fluid actuated means connected with said conduit and a fan connected with said means for advancing a col umn of air through said radiator unit, said fan being arranged Within the casing and said fluid actuated means being located re mote therefrom, and a driving connection provided between said fan and means.

6. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing having a conduit therethrough, tubular means for suspending the casing from a fluid supply pipe, said tubular means connecting the conduit with the supply pipe, a radiator unit carried by the casing, said tubular means and conduit providing a passage for fluid from the supply pipe to the radiator unit, an outlet pipe for the radiator, a turbine mounted in the casing conduit and a fan operatively connected with the turbine to drive a column of air through the radiator unit.

7. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing having a conduit therethrough, tubular means for suspending the casing from a fluid supply pipe and connecting the conduit with the pipe, a radiator unit carried by the casing and into which said conduit opens, a radiator outlet pipe in axial alignment with said tubular means, said casing and unit being respectively rotatably connected with the supply pipe and the outlet pipe, a turbine connected with said conduit and a fan driven by said turbine and positioned to advance air through said radiator unit.

8. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing, a radiator unit closing one end of the casing, said radiator having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, air advancing means located in said casing, fluid actuated means for driving said air advancing means, a driving connection between said fluid actuated means and air advancing means, said connection including a shaft extending from said fluid actuated means, and means extending from said casing providing a support for said air advancing means and shaft.

9. In apparatus of the kind described, a casing, a radiator unit closing one end of the casing, air advancing means located in said casing for advancing air through the radiator, fluid actuated means for operating said air advancing means, a heating fluid supply pipe having means for-supplying fluid to said radiator, and means for operating said air advancing means, said radiator having a fluid outlet, a connectionbetween the fluid ARTHUR B. MODINE.

supply pipe and outlet and a thermostatic I trap located in said connection. 

